Flybe dedicates aircraft to ‘Wembley Grecians’

Exeter-based Flybe has announced the naming of one of its fleet to honour the ‘Wembley Grecians’. The specially branded Bombardier Q400 aircraft has been named after the triumphant 2007/2008 Exeter City FC team that won promotion back to the Football League in May.

The naming ceremony at Exeter International Airport was attended by Flybe’s Director of Marketing, Simon Lilley and Exeter City’s Director of Football, Steve Perryman.

Exeter City won the Play-Off Final at Wembley Stadium in a gritty match against Cambridge United on 18th May that was settled by a lone Rob Edwards goal. That goal, and the efforts of the whole team, earned the Grecians promotion to League Two and ended their five year exlusion from the Football League.

Simon Lilley, Flybe’s Director of Marketing, said: “We have sponsored and supported Exeter City since they fell out of the football league 5 years ago. It is fitting now to commemorate the return to where they belong with such a tribute. The Wembley victory touched the community in so many ways, and we are proud at Flybe to feel we have played a small part in that success. . Now, ‘Wembley Grecians’ will be in active service out of Exeter throughout Flybe ‘s extensive UK and European network.”

Added Exeter City's Director of Football, Steve Perryman, MBE: “I have achieved many things in football and at the highest levels. Seeing Exeter City win at Wembley and gain promotion back to the Football League was certainly one of the highlights and I think it is a fitting honour that Flybe, the club's main sponsors, have named a plane to mark that historic day. The club, its fans and the city itself will be proud to see Flybe's ‘Wembley Grecians’ take off into the skies.”

Continues Lilley: “This aircraft naming today is part of our very active ‘Local Heroes Programme’ – we aim to support the community we serve to create local heroes across many aspects of everyday life, then herald their success.”

‘Wembley Grecians’ is a Bombardier Q400 aircraft withthe registration G-JECE. The Q400, the backbone of Flybe’s 70+ strong fleet, is one the world’s most environmentally-sensitive passenger aircraft offering 30% improvement in fuel efficiency over many other short haul aircraft.

As an airline serving the UK regions and with a huge investment in football and the communities in which it serves, Flybe is proud of the initiatives that it champions throughout the UK, Ireland and continental Europe. Flybe is strongly dedicated to Exeter, something that is demonstrated through its programme of community investment and providing efficient affordable travel to and from the South West.

Flybe currently offers 28 routes from Exeter, from UK destinations such as Manchester, Edinburgh, Dublin and the Channel Islands to European summer destinations such as Amsterdam, Paris, Alicante, Faro and Dubrovnik. For more information click on to flybe.com.